Nepal disaster a climate 'warning signal': Foreign Minister
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has described a recent deadly glacial collapse as a critical warning regarding the impact of climate change on the Himalayas. He is calling for international support framed through the lens of climate justice rather than charity to assist with long-term adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the escalating vulnerability of Himalayan nations to climate-induced catastrophes, emphasizing the growing global debate over climate justice and financial responsibility for developing nations.
A devastating glacial collapse in Nepal that unleashed deadly floods was a "warning signal" over the growing risks climate change poses to the Himalayan nation, its foreign minister told AFP on Tuesday.
"We believe that this disaster should be seen as a warning signal to the risk that climate change poses to Nepal," Shisir Khanal said in an interview with AFP nearly a week since the tsunami-like wave of freezing water , rocks and debris carved a trail of destruction.
More than 1,000 bodies have been recovered, and nearly 4,500 people are missing in Nepal as well as across the Chinese border in Tibet.
Mr. Khanal invited international support based on climate justice rather than charity, noting that his largely rural nation of 30 million people contributes a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrialised nations.
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